Lock-lever caster.



J. A. JOHNSON.

LOCK LEVER CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l5. m5.

1,137,329. Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS*SHEET l.

Eli .1-

J.fl. Johnson.

Guam,

J. A. JOHNSON.

LOCK LEVER CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-15. 1915.

1,137,329, Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS SHEEI 2.

( in umtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. JOHNSON, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB. TO THE M. B. SCHENCKCOMPANY, OF MEBIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

LOCK-LEVER CASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN A. JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Meriden, county of. New, Haven, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLock-Lever Casters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to brakes for casters,

1 and has for its object to hold the caster roller firmly as againstrotation, and to restore the parts to normal condition so that theroller will be free to rotate, and furthermore to effect these resultswithout employing any spring action to the parts and by causing thelocking element to bind in its locked position firmly and flatly againstthe caster roller.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and more particularlyset forth in the appended claims.

My invention may be embodied in several forms all of which in substanceare mechanically the same, and I have therefore shown and willhereinafter describe these forms.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken,of one,

form of my improvement with the parts in unlocked condition. Fig. 2 islikewise a side elevation of the structure shown at F 1, partly broken,and showing the position of the parts in locked condition. Fig. 3 is asection at the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation similar to Fig.2 except that in Fig. 2 the pivot of the lock lever is a studextendinginwardly from one horn of the caster while in Fig. 4 this pivotalconnection is formed by a stud extending from the lock lever into a.perforation in one horn of the caster. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe lock lever utilized in the construction shown at Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is aviewsimilar to Fig. 4, except that it shows a pivotal point for the locklever consisting of a lip outwardly extending from the latter within aperforation in one hem of the caster. Fig. 7

is a perspective view of the lock lever utilized in the constructionshown at Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 except that the camteat extends inwardly from one horn of the caster and normally engages aperforation in the lock lever when the parts are in unlocked position,while in locking position this teat is forced outside of saidperforation against the lock lever. Fig. 9 is a section at the line 99of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a section at the line '10-l0 of Fig. 8, butshowing the parts in normal condition with the cam teat extending withinthe perforation in the lock lever, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view ofthe form of lock lever utilized in the structure shown at Figs. 8, 9,and 10.

Similar numerals of reference denote like parts in the several figuresof the drawing. A peculiarity of my invention, in all its forms, is thatthe lock lever is pivotally connected to one horn of the castereccentric of the pintle of the caster roller and between said horn androller, and that not only has this lever a free rocking movement aroundits pivot but also a sliding movement lengthwise of the pivotalconnection. Also, in all forms of my improvement, the locking. iseffected by means of interengaging surfaces I carried by the lever andthe inner face of the horn member, and in all instances these surfacesengage with a cam action which forces the broad surface of the locklever firmly and flatly against the adjacent side of the caster rollerso as to bind the latter firml throughout an extended area. Also, in alforms of my improvement shown, no special stops are required to limitthe rocking movements of the lock lever, since, in all instances, themovement of this lever to free the caster roller is limitedby theabutment of the upper part of the lever against the bridge frame, whilethe movement of such lever to lock the caster roller is limited by theabutment of the lower edge of the lever against the pintle of theroller.

extends upwardly, and 5 is the caster roller pivoted between the hornsl, 2,..ncar the lower endthereof, means of the pintle 6, all of whichparts w en properly assembled as shown constitute the usual form ofcaster.

In adapting my improvement to acaster, I utilize a lock lever-whichcomprises a plate 7 which is vertically disposed in the assembledstructure the lower extremities of this plate being formed withrectangular extending step-like portions 8, 9, for convemence inmanipulating the lock lever as will be more fully explained.

Extendingfinwardl'yfrom the horn 1 and eccentric of the pintle'fi is astud 10 which latter projects through a circular perforation 11 in theplate 7 whereby a pivotal point for the lock lever is afforded.

12 is a teat carried by the plate 7 and extending beyond the surfacethereof toward the horn member 1 ably forced from the stock of the plateas shown.

By placing the foot upon the step 8 and forcing the latter downwardlythe lock lever will be swung to theposition shown at Fig. 2 and duringthe course of this swinging movement the teat 12 will cam against theinner face of the hOl'll'l and thereby force the lock lever throughoutits entire broad area against the side surface of the roller 5, thuslocking the latter against rotation, and in this connection it will beobserved that the lock-lever does not impinge against the roller at amere point or throughout a comparatively small area of the side face ofthe roller, but that, owing to the fact that the pivotal relation of thelock lever is such that it can slidefreelyalong such pivotal point,substantially the entire area of the lock lever is bound against a verysubstantial area of the side surface of the roller.

-When the parts are in the position shown at Fig. 1, to which positionthey have been brought by pressure against the step 9, it will beobserved that. the top edge of the plate 7 is in abutment .a ainst thebridge 3 of the caster,- thus adoring a stop {and it will be observed byreference to Fig. 2 that, when the parts are in locked condition, thelower edge of the plate 7 will be in abutment against the ipmtle of thecaster, thus likewise affording a stop engagement.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, instead of the stud projecting from theinner face of the hornl through a perforation in the plate 7, a similarstud 13 extends from the plate perforation 14 ii! the horn 1, and thisstud 13 may be formed from the plate 7 by a drawing operation-0r it maybe secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Referring to Figs. (Sand 7, I have shown.

a pivotal structure of the same character as that shown at Figs. 4 and5-except that a lip this teat being prefer-' 15 of the proper dimensionsis cut from the stock of the plate 7 and is extended at right anglesthereto so as to form a which extends through the per oration 14. Inother words, this stud 15 performs the same function as the stud 13 theonly difference being that it is not circular in cross section. V

The structures which have been described all contemplate the provisionof the cam teat as a part of the lock lever, and when the parts are inunlocked positions this teat projects outwardly beyond the inner face ofthe horn member 1, but, of course, such teat portion may extend from theinner face of the horn member itself so that when the lever is operatedsuch teat may exert a camming action against the lever to force the sameinto locking contact with the face of the caster roller, andaccordingly, referring to Figs. 8, 9, 10, and 11, I have shown a teat 16extending from the inner face of the horn member 1, and preferablyformed by forcing the stock of said member inwardly, and in normal orunlocked position this teat extends within a perforation 17 in the locklever, as more particularly shown at Fig. 10, and when the latter isoperated to perform its function of locking the caster roller, thisperforation 17 will be forced clear of the teat 16 and the latter willcam against the outer face of the plate 7 of the lever so as to forcethe latter, in the manner hereinbefore described, firmly against theside face of such roller, as more particularly shown at Fig. 9.

From the above description it will be clear that the essential featuresof my improvement comprise the arrangement of the look ing lever betweenthe horn and caster roller, the .sliding pivotal connection between saidlever and the adjacent horn of the caster and eccentric ofthe pintle ofthe roller itself, and finally the engagement of surfaces, carried bythe horn member and lock lever, with a cam-like action, wherebytthebroad area of the lock lever is firmly impinged against a substantialarea of the side ace of the caster roller, all of which features areembodied in and form a characteristic of the various structuresillustrated and hereinbefore described. Further it will benoted that Ido not employ any I soever, nor do I re y on the resiliency of any partofmy structure in effecting the result aimed at.

While I prefer to provide for pivotal connection between the lock levei'and horn member that is eccentric of the axis. of the pintle that passesthrough the caster roller, nevertheless it is fully within my inventionto pivot said lever around said pintle, because the cam action of thesurfaces carried 'by the lever and horn would be precisely the springfeature, what ivotal stud I same as in the structures hereinbeforedescribed, and I therefore do not wish my invention limited in thisrespect.

What I claim as new is 1. A look lever caster, comprising spaced hornmembers, a caster roller, :1 pin extending through said members androller whereby the latter is journaled, and a brake lever interposedbetween one of the horn members and the roller and pivoted to said hornmember eccentric to said pin.

2. A lock lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller,a pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter isjournaled, and a pivoted brake lever interposed between one of the hornmembers and the roller and having a lateral projection adapted to beforced against said horn member to bind said lever firmly against theside face of the roller thereby locking the latter.

3. A lock lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller,a pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter isjournaled, and a brake lever pivotally connected to the inner face ofone of-said horn members and capable of lateral movement, said lever andhorn member having interengaging means for causing thelever to be forcedfirmly against theside of the roller when said lever is swung to lockingposition.

4. A lock lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller,a pin extending through said members and roller whereby the latter isjourna-led, and a brake lever between one of the horn members and theroller, said lever and horn member having a pivotal relation eccentricto said pin and also havi interengaging cam surfaces, whereby when thelever is in unlocked position the roller is free to rotate, but whensaid lever is swung to locked position it will be forced firmly againstthe side face of the roller to lock the latter as against rotation.

5. A look lever caster, comprising spaced horn members, a caster roller,a pin extending through. said members and roller whereby the latter isjournaled, and a brake lever pivoted to the inner face of one hornmember eccentric to said pin and having its locking and unlockingmovements limited by said pin and by the caster frame.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

W. A. SCHENCK, M. F. RASTED.

